Larissa nodded. “I hope Ava likes it.I don’t know what color scheme she’d like.”
“It’s Ava, she likes anything. Trust me, Smokey is going to get some serioussex once we’re done.” Harlow winced. “Crap, am I supposed to say those kinds of words to you?”
She burst out laughing. Being the priest’s daughter certainly came with its interesting interactions. For the longest time, she had noticed how nervous everyone was around her. “I know what sex is, Harlow. Please, don’t worry about it.”
She wasn’t a prude.
A lot of people seemed to see her as some kind of weak, innocent, young girl they needed to protect. They didn’t.
She had lived alone with her father, had helped to take care of him. Had learned a lot about being a young woman on her own. Where other girls were getting advice on tampons and being guided by their mother, she had the mortifying experience of everything being told by her father. He’d been so embarrassed as he didn’t have the first clue.
Of course, he’d been so horrified by how little he knew, he drove them out of town when she was twelve, and they had to have the conversation with a woman in a pharmacy. Larissa had done her research and told her dad not to worry.
This was why she never had a boyfriend. No one wanted to do anything with the priest’s daughter. She had a big fat cross right across her person. Larissa had to wonder if there was a cross that she couldn’t see.
“I’m sorry. I open my mouth and it just vomits words.”
Larissa laughed. She adored Harlow. She was the only person who didn’t worry about what she said or holdback. Of course, she always apologized, but that was after the fact.
“That’smy bread,” Larissa said when her timer went off.
She wanted to fill the air with homely scents. Not the smells of cigarettes and beer. Homemade bread was always a winner. It certainly helped to make her mouth water. After stepping away from Harlow, she made her way toward the kitchen. She grabbed a pair of oven mitts and slid them onto her hands, opening the oven and then pulling out two, large loaves.
They looked so good. She placed them on top of the stove, closed the oven, and then eased each one out, giving them a quick test before placing them on a cooling rack.
“You bake bread!”
Larissa turned to see Big Dick sitting at the kitchen table.
“Yeah. Ava loves bread, and I think it will be nice for her not having to make anything this Christmas.”
“She owns a bakery.”
“Doesn’t mean that she has to do all the cooking when she comes here.” She didn’t know exactly when Smokey was going to finally share all of his plans with Ava,but the longer he left it, the bigger the surprise, she imagined.
Larissa smiled at Big Dick and then moved toward the door. There was a lot to do. She had several loads of laundry to foldand a bathroom to clean. She had also offered to organize Smokey’s office, but he wasn’t too interested in that.
She knew he had already given the men the hands-off speech. All of his club members had been different toward her after twenty-four hours of her working here. She imagined it was down to his respect for her father. They were always looking out for her, not that she needed it. She wasn’t any of these men’s types. She’d seen them all around town with the women who lived at the club. Not that she’d seen a lot of the women in the last few days. It was like they had all but vanished.
“You know you shouldn’t be working here,” Big Dick said. “This isn’t the place for someone like you.”
“You don’t know me, so I wouldn’t assume anything.” She held her skirt out, it was a full circle skirt, which she loved, and then shebowed down in a curtsy.
****
Harlow was pissed offat Hunter.
He’d been avoiding her, and he wasn’t going to say some mean shit to her and then move away like it meant nothing.
Nearly all of her work was done. Big Dick hadn’t given her a chance to become truly acquainted with the club. She was there as a guest, but she would never be a member. Not that she ever wanted to be a member of the club.
No, but Hunter was just plain rude.
The guys were all milling around, doing odd jobs, or enjoying a beer. Larissa was cleaning up after everyone.
Even Harlow was amazed at how fast she’d been able to clear away all the glitter, the pine needles, and the stray pieces of tinsel. The woman was a machine. Harlow couldn’t believe the library had let her go. She would never step foot in that place as there was no way it was going to be clean. Certainly not up to Larissa’s standard.
No one was paying her any attention. Hunter was at the bar though, nursing a beer. And he looked freaking miserable. This was the time of year to be happy. Not to be moping into his beer.